Elf in the Sunlight (2)
Elf in the Sunlight (2)
After receiving introductions to various products from Pion and hearing her promise a guaranteed annual return rate of 10%, Dojin just nodded and told her to handle it herself.
Even if she ended up taking a loss, it wouldn't matter much. Platinum Coins were something others couldn't touch in a lifetime, but to Dojin, they were just a day's pay.
Leaving the guild, Dojin blankly looked up at the sky. A shooting star began streaking across the unnecessarily brilliant night sky.
From ancient times, people had seen shooting stars as bad omens. Because it meant the unchanging sky and stars were moving.
'......Yeah, I get why they'd feel that way.'
People living in 21st-century modern times would hear about it secondhand and not understand easily. What's the big deal about the stars in the sky moving?
But in this otherworld where the sky was so clear it felt like you could see beyond the universe, it was different. Watching the trails of countless shooting stars embroidering the sky made it feel like something was about to happen any moment.
After gazing at the night sky like that, Dojin returned to the mansion.
What must happen will happen.
Even if it's something you want to avoid.
"Orion?"
"......Leader."
Upon arriving at the mansion, Dojin tilted his head at Orion, who was waiting for him. At first, he thought she'd come to relieve some sexual tension.
After pounding her decades- or centuries-old virgin Vagina that roughly, it would be weirder to think she could go back to normal life right away.
But the reason she'd come was even more extreme than what Dojin had imagined.
"......So it finally came?"
"Yes. And this is... a letter sent from the Elf Kingdom."
Orion said that and handed him a familiar-looking poem snippet from somewhere. The elves had put some effort into it; it was phrased so it wouldn't seem too out of place even if it appeared in a human newspaper.
"Can you interpret it?"
"No... It's a cipher instructing to carry out specific pre-trained operations. Unless you know how they were trained, it's impossible to figure out."
"Tricky."
Dojin tried to decipher the cipher. He couldn't just publish it in the newspaper without knowing what mission it contained.
But no matter how much he stared at it, he couldn't tell what the mission was. It made sense. It was a cipher system created by elves who lived eternally, so there'd be near-infinite possibilities.
"......It's fine, Leader. We don't have to publish this."
"What are you talking about? If you don't carry it out properly...... Won't they come from the Great Forest to deal with you?"
"It'll be okay once or twice."
She said that with a big smile. But Dojin could read her mind. She was willing to risk herself out of fear that it might cause trouble for him—pure self-sacrifice.
"You sure you'll be okay?"
"Of course! Who do you think I am? An elite elf who's completed Ranger training?"
Watching her force out those words, Dojin did what he could. In other words, he made sure she could forget her psychological burden, at least.
"Then I'll trust you. But... wanna eat Penis?"
"Yes, wha?"
"You said yes? Got it."
"W-Wait a sec. That's not what I— Deheung!"
"If you don't like it, just say so. I'll stop anytime."
"N-No, I don't hiiik!"
Dojin sent Orion straight to Orgasm in an instant, then pumped Seed deep inside her. After laying her down in the room, where she was dazed and staggering from the pleasure and semen, he headed straight to Deokgu's room.
Seeing Dojin approach with a stiff expression, Deokgu immediately realized why he'd come and hardened his own face.
"......You here?"
"Yeah."
"Contents?"
"No clue. Apparently, even among Rangers, the ciphers are all different."
"For real?"
"You think Orion was lying or something?"
"...Fine, whatever. If you say so, it must be true."
Even if Orion had lied, it wouldn't matter. She couldn't escape Dojin's mind-reading ability if she did.
"Print it?"
"......We have to."
"What's with you? From that look on your face... Don't tell me Orion told you not to?"
Sure enough, having seen all sorts of clichés, Deokgu picked up on Dojin's hesitation right away. Dojin just gave a wry smile without a word to smooth it over.
"Got a favor to ask."
"Idiot, asking me for another favor is such a cliché now. If she told you not to, then don't."
"How can I not? Be a man about it."
"Bullshit... I fucking hate that 'be a man' crap. Right after those PC freaks preaching gender equality."
But Deokgu didn't refuse Dojin's request. Ever since he'd started building a harem with otherworld slave Maids, he'd come to understand Dojin's feelings somewhat.
Who wants to show weakness to a woman after becoming a man? Men always want to appear strong.
Even if it's to their own slave, and especially if it's an equal comrade?
"......Just this once?"
"Cool of you."
"Well, I was the guy they called 'Cool King' for being so fucking cool."
Spitting out that self-deprecating joke, Deokgu printed the cipher Orion had passed on directly in the Newspaper. No idea what it said, but what harm could come to them from it? he thought carelessly.
Time passed.
The Newspaper was published, and it fell into the hands of elf spies.
"......Leader, what is this?"
"Hm?"
Orion came to Dojin holding the Newspaper as if it were the most obvious thing. It was this week's issue, with the elf cipher printed in it.
Seeing it, Dojin played dumb and turned his head away. But Orion felt intense shame watching him, like she wanted to bite her tongue.
"Did I, did I ever ask you... to do something like this?"
"No, you didn't."
"Then why, when I specifically told you not to......."
"How could I not? It was all for your sake."
"......For my sake."
Did this man even know how much that hurt her?
"Yeah, Leader. Looking forward to working with you from now on."
Pride.
The forest fairy acted to protect her dignity.
The next day, Orion vanished from the city.
'What the hell?'
Orion was nowhere to be seen. She didn't show up at the Dungeon at the promised time or at the mansion.
Feeling something off, Dojin headed straight to Orion's house. He already knew the location—he'd been kidnapped there once.
But some vagrants were living in her house now.
"......Who the hell are you guys?"
"Wh-Who are you!? This is our─!"
"Our house? This ain't yours."
"Bullshit! I bought this! It's my house, legally purchased!"
The vagrant said that and showed a deed proving he'd bought the house. Even receipts for several years' taxes paid.
At first, Dojin thought it might be forged, but the special magical seal proved it was real.
Checking the date on the document, Dojin confirmed it wasn't theirs originally, but since the paperwork was legit, he had nothing to say.
Instead, he handed them some Silver Coins and asked.
"Do you know where the original owner went?"
"......No clue. We just moved in when she suddenly said she was selling."
"When was that?"
"A few weeks ago, I think......."
A few weeks ago—Dojin realized that's about when he'd been kidnapped to Orion's house.
So, the moment Dojin learned her identity, she'd immediately changed hideouts and kept deceiving him?
And now, since Dojin didn't listen this time and couldn't be controlled, she'd bolted?
'No way.'
Dojin didn't buy it. You can fake expressions or actions, but not inner thoughts.
With his ability, he could peer into her heart completely, and every time he suspected her, he'd read her mind and cleared her.
She wasn't a spy. That much was certain. So what the hell had gone wrong?
'......Because I acted for your sake?'
Elves were a prideful race by nature. They had high noses and thought they were the world's finest.
For such an elf like Orion to fall for Dojin, it couldn't have been an easy decision.
She probably couldn't tolerate the love she'd chosen, defying her innate instincts, causing her harm because of him.
'Because if you're here, I'll end up getting hurt?'
Ridiculous. Look, by running away to avoid hurting me, you're hurting me right now.
Thinking that, Dojin headed to the guild. The Adventurer Guild had some pull in this city, so they'd know if one elf had slipped out.
"Uh...... Orion-nim suddenly disappeared?"
"Yeah."
"Th-This is bad! We'll mobilize people right─......."
"You'll handle it somehow?"
"Don't worry! Dojin-nim is the guild's pride now! Someone who could make even the Guild Master kneel! We'll use any means necessary......."
Dojin asked the guild, the Guard Force, even the Saintess and the Magic Tower for help, but couldn't find Orion.
He was dumbfounded that with all this manpower and money, they couldn't find one person.
"Does this make sense? With this many people searching......!"
"S-Sorry! Dojin-nim! But......."
Pion's excuse was this: The city's structure could block people sneaking in from outside, but not those slipping out secretly.
All cities were like that.
That's when Dojin truly realized this was an otherworld without a single CCTV. Even in Korea, blanketed with CCTVs nationwide, they couldn't catch every criminal or missing person.
In an otherworld with magic and Superhumans, sneaking out of one city wasn't that hard.
"......Can't find her, huh?"
"Yes. We're truly sorry......."
"Nah, forget it."
After that, Dojin holed up in the mansion like a hermit. Orion's disappearance was a huge shock to him.
Enough to make his immovable heart twitch, which he'd thought was rock-solid.
Fortunately, he didn't fall into alcoholism from the shock or get lost in women. Recovering in just a few hours, he gave a light smile to Eunha, who was looking at him worriedly.
"......Gotta hit the Dungeon."
"......Yeah."
With Orion gone, it'd be with Seoyun.
After a very long time, the three of them headed to the Dungeon.
After hunting like maniacs in the Dungeon.
Even clutching Platinum Coins today.
Dojin couldn't shake the feeling that one corner of his heart was empty. Emotions you'd forgotten about suddenly poking their head in—how ridiculous.
"......The night sky's pretty. Don't you think?"
Kkiik, opening the window, Dojin muttered alone. No reply came. Too bad. Would've been nice if someone answered.
Seogeok-.
The Magic Sword Dojin swung sliced through the ceiling and advanced forward. After cutting several meters, he turned back to see two elves standing there with shocked expressions.
A typical elf with blonde hair and an average figure.
And an Eroph with pink hair and explosive breasts.
"......How the hell?"
"Whoa— you scared me, almost died!"
The two looked at Dojin warily. Dojin recalled what Pion had said and let out a hollow laugh.
'They can block ones coming from outside, huh?'
But telling them now, after they'd already sneaked in, was pointless.
Gripping his sword, Dojin asked.
"Why'd you come?"
"Mission."
"We're here to retrieve our Rion for not following orders~!"
"......Hey."
"Oh, was that not supposed to be said?"
The pink-haired Eroph giggled as she said that. Her huge breasts jiggled with every laugh, mesmerizing Dojin's eyes.
Like hypnosis, the breasts shook in steady rhythm—then stopped perfectly as her laughter did.
"Guess I'll kill you then."
Paaang!
Right after, a fist flew at him.